Ain't It Funky

I believe this is first group of albums that I've listened to on this voyage that I haven't just hated at least one album. There were a few so-so albums in the mix but not a bad go of it all in all.

There were a couple albums that I've listened to before and don't feel a need to really hash out, those being Superunknown (336) by Soundgarden and Help!(331) by The Beatles. Superunknown is by far Soundgardens best work and the only one of theirs I own. It's solid though. Help! is standard pre-Rubber Soul Beatles, catchy and cheeky but with solid song writing. Without Help! we wouldn't have Yesterday so...

Fine for a listen.

337 - Aqualung, Jethro Tull - A fairly anti-religious 70s rock album with plenty of kick-butt flute solos. Seriously the flute solos are actually pretty impressive at times. Up To Me is a great number.
334 - Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham Parker - This one I thought I would hate. And I think I did up front but the songs were just too catchy not to enjoy. A post punk pop artist who sounds a little more like Costello. Local Girls. I might come back to this one in time.
333 - Wild Gift, X - Early punk from the 70s. Nothing really stood out to me. But what I like about earlier punk is it came from a honest place and seemed like a vary natural progression in rock, in that, what they played and wrote wasn't influenced by what they thought the genre was suppose to be or suggest. Far more poppy then what punk became. It was just what they wanted it to be. Give it a go. In This House That I Call Home

Need to explore more.

339 - The Heart of Saturday Night, Tom Waits - This is the second or third by Waits that I have listened to on this list and I need to explore him more. I sold him short as an artist before but there is more musicianship and soul to him then just the craggled story teller I thought he was before. This album is late night blues/jazz. Had a Randy Newman fill to it, in a dirtier way of course. This one I'm looking forward to visited again. San Diego Serenade
338 - Cheap Thrills, Big Brother and The Holding Company - I thought "Oh great! The 60s again." I've struggled connecting to the core of 60s music. But this album cut through most of that. And for sure it was Janis Joplin. She had such a...grit to her voice and approach but yet in a way it was beautiful because of it. It was just free. And given the era she sang in that sounds cliche but really it's just apropos. Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues
332 - Shoot Out the Lights, Richard and Linda Thompson - Richard is a great guitar player and Linda's voice is beautiful. Some really great melodies in this album and that's what will bring me back. Walking On a Wire
328 - Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth - I can't really pick anything from this album to share right now. There are a lot of albums on this list that I hated and I feel made it on this list for the influence they had on their listeners and marked milestone in the development and arc of popular music. I feel like that is who Sonic Youth was and especially this album. They had such in influence on so many bands I love and mix in that with the fact that I didn't hate this album, I feel that I owe it to myself to explore it more. And maybe you should too. It may take a few spins to find in it what it has to offer.

Love is for the lucky.

336- In Rainbows, Radiohead - In my mind this album gave OK Computer a run for it's money. So really I'm saying it's in Radiohead's top 2 albums. It didn't break ground like OKC or Kid A but it didn't need to. It's a more simple album with solid songs and more than anything, the whole album has a very clear directive and cohesiveness to it. And watching them perform it live (Live From The Basement) showed me that every bit and texture they used on this album was purposeful and reproducible. Some of my favorites, All I Need, Recknor, and House of Cards. Disc 2 from this recording session is also packed full a greats like Bnagers + Mash.
330 - Tonight's the Night, Neil Young - A sad album about death and drugs. Or at least that's what I guess. Young's voice in its shaky and ragged quality is in its element. Borrowed Tune for sure, and Tired Eyes.
329 - In the Jungle Groove, James Brown - Yes, yes, and yes!!! Funk in all ways James Brown. In all ways awesome. Try listening to the first song It's a New Day (which has by far my favorite scream, like ever) and not want to dance and hug a stranger tight and big. Seriously, listen to this album. Horns and drums, guitars and bums. (I don't know what that means but it sounds right.)